


Perception

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Angst, Canon, Implied Brian Kinney/Michael Novotny (Queer as Folk), Points of View, Short, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-08-14
Updated: 2008-04-03
Packaged: 2018-12-26 23:20:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12069015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: Umm ok, so this was a weird thought I had and I just need you to bare with me. PLEASE!!!





	1. Could it be True?

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

  
Author's notes:

Thanks to Princess, the vid Goddess for beta'ing for me. Thanks to Eka, the banner Goddess for my stunning banner. And last but not least Thanks to Gerri, our Goddess leader for my title.

* * *

 

Justin's POV

I unlock the loft and head in, I can't believe how boring that field trip was and I'm glad I could get an earlier fight home. God I am so exhausted, all I want is to have Brian make love to me and then go to sleep hopefully until tomorrow. I walk into the loft and set my bags down by the door. I know Brian will bitch at me about it later but right now I don't care.

I pull off my jacket, and I am starting to pull off my shirt as I begin to climb the stairs to the bedroom.

"What the fuck?!"

I can't believe my eyes, there sleeping on my side of mine and Brian's bed is none other than Michael. As my yelled question hits the air, he sits bolt upright and looks confused for a minute before his eyes land on me. Once that happens all he looks is guilty.

We stare at each other for a minute neither of us saying anything, until he jumps up pulling the duvet with him. He is coving his body and walking backwards to the bathroom, like he is scared of me while stammering out words that don't make any sense.

"I…well…it…and…I…"

I watch as he slams the bathroom door, and I want to go after him but I can't seem to get my body to move. I haven't moved a muscle since I saw him; my hands are still on my shirt where I was going to take it off.

'Why would he do that?'

That question keeps floating around in my head. I'm not curious as to why Michael would sleep with Brian, because I know that he has always wanted to, but what I don't understand is why Brian would sleep with Michael.

I thought we were doing well, we have been together for real for almost six months, and we have been monogamous for that long as well. Well at least I have, but now I wonder about whether Brian has at all. Maybe I just didn't see it; maybe he has been cheating this whole time. 

Hell, maybe he has been sleeping with Michael for even longer than that. It would certainly explain why Michael is so possessive of him. It would explain all the times they go off together, telling me that their going to the movies, bowling, or a thousand other excuses that I never thought anything of until now.

I don't remember moving, but I must of because now I am right beside our bed and just staring down at it. It is sex rumpled, like I have seen it a thousand times before, and it smells like sex and Brian and Michael. There is no mistaking any of those smells because I have smelled them all constantly for the last four years. 

I feel something wet hit my hand and I look down to see what it is and see a tiny clear drop of liquid. But before I can wonder what it is, another falls with it and then another and another and I realize to my surprise that I'm crying.

It could be, would be different if it was anyone other than Michael because, if it was a trick we could get over it and move on. Now don't get me wrong, it would be an extreme battle, on that left both me and Brian bleeding and exposed from verbal wounds.

But we would survive it because we are stronger then any fuck up, any trick but Michael's not a trick and for Brian to sleep with him, it means Brian must have crossed over in his feeling for Michael from those of a friend, to those of a lover.

I don't know what to say and I don't know what to do. I find myself aimlessly wondering around the loft for a few minutes, and then when I realize where I am again I see that I am in front of the closet. I stare at the door as if it will give me the answers I am searching for but the only thing it gives me is what I already know.

'I have to leave.'

I know that. Because if Brian is sleeping with Michael, it means he finally understands that he wants to be with Michael, but I also know he would never leave me. He is just not that kind of man. He wouldn't hurt me to be happy. I'm sure the only reason he even is having sex with Michael is because he figured I would never find out.

I know Brian would deny himself happiness so I would have mine, but I can't allow him to do that. I love him too much to want him to be unhappy. That's all I've ever wanted was him to be happy and if he needs Michael to do that, then so be it. If I can't make him happy being here, then I will leave so he is happy.

My mind made up, I grab my duffle bag and start filling it. This will not be like when I left with Ethan, I will leave nothing here so I don't have to come back and get it. This time there is no shadow of hope that we will get back together. I will not throw myself at him, to get him to take me back because this time, I'm leaving for him.

As I continue to pack, grabbing every bag I own to throw stuff into and then starting on trash bags. I realize my tears haven't stopped, if anything they have gotten worse. I also realize that Michael has not come out of the bathroom. I figure he is probably scared of me, but I would never hurt him. Even if he wasn't a part of the 'family,' I wouldn't hurt him because Brian obviously loves him and I would never do something that would hurt Brian that much. It would hurt him not only because his lover got hurt, but also because I did it, so he would blame himself.

"Michael you can come out of the bathroom you know. I don't plan on doing anything to you. I would never hit someone who Brian loves."

'No matter how much I may want to.'

There is a few seconds more of silence then the bathroom door cracks open, revealing his peeking face.

"Oh come out, I said I wasn't going to do anything."

He finally steps out, but now with a smug look on his face and although he hasn't said anything yet, I already wish I had let him stay in the bathroom. Why didn't I you ask? I really have no fucking clue; I must be a glutton for punishment. Just looking at him makes me feel inferior now. And I'm asking myself, what he has that I don't, what he can do for, or be for Brian that I can't.

I don't know the answers to these questions, or the million more that are running through my head, but I can see Michael is about to speak and I know whatever he says is going to hurt.

"You're right, you're not going to do anything because Brian would hate you if you did, instead of just putting up with you."

See, I told you it was going to hurt and that I should have let him stay in the bathroom, because he's right and we both know it. If someone were to hit someone Brian loves, he would hate them forever.

I just look at Michael and honestly, I have no reply for that because I'm afraid of what I'll say if I open my mouth. So I just ignore the temptation to rip him down and go about packing, but as Mikey like's to do, he doesn't shut up.

"I'm sorry Justin, but I told you that first night to go, but you wouldn't and Brian just couldn't bear to hurt you."

I am stepping to go grab the stuff in my nightstand, when he says this and another thought assails me.

'God, could this be true? Could Brian have only put up with me because he felt sorry for me?'

With this thought, I felt another piece of my soul break free and disappear. I have to stiffen my back to keep moving. At this point, I'm not actually sure what exactly has me still moving, but somehow I am, and I go to the nightstand and clean it out.

From there I continue on to the rest of the loft, collecting every little thing I find. I find myself surprised at how much stuff I have at the loft now. This last six months, this has become my home and Brian and I have merged our styles, so it actually looks more like two people live here. I look at the set of glass figurines Brian bought me when we officially got together. They are blue, like my eyes, and I know that's why he bought them. They are two figures that when set together, entwine in a way where you can't tell where one starts and the other ends. 

I wonder whether I should take them because he bought them, but he bought them for me. Looking at them I quickly make up my mind and grab one and leave the other. I feel as if though taking one and leaving the other is symbolic of us now being forever apart. 

Finally I have finish packing and you would think that this took a long time, but when I'm setting all the bags by the door, I noticed less than a half an hour has passed since I got out of the cab down stairs. So I again call a cab to bring me away from this place, this heartache.

I now have ten minutes to get my bags down stairs, ten minutes until my life is changed forever, ten minutes until it is a certainty that I will never see Brian again. I know this because I know I can't stay in Pittsburgh after this. I can't live here while Brian is here and not be with him. Or worse, see him with Michael.

"So I hope you're going to let Brian have this. Let him be happy and not come crying to him about this."

I have all that I can carry in my arms when Michael says this, which is probably a good thing because I want to hurt him. But I don't, I just nod my head and answer.

"Don't worry I'm leaving town today and he won't ever hear from me again. Tell him if he finds anything I missed to throw it in the trash."

"Good."

I hear his answer but don't acknowledge it, as I walk out the door. It takes another trip to get all my stuff with Michael just staring at me, obviously trying to hurry me the whole time. I can tell he wants me out of their lives as soon as possible, and it wouldn't hurt except I know Brian probably feels the same way. Why else would Michael be the one that's here when I called and left a message that I would be home in ten minutes, and by the fact that the light's not blinking I know that Brian got the message.

Finally, after what seems like an entirety, but is only a couple of minutes the cab pulls up and the driver jumps out to help me stow my bags. We fill up the trunk and the back seat and then when we are done I step back and look. My entire life, my life with Brian, takes up less then a car.

As I am climbing in the cab, I see the Jeep screech to a halt in front of the building, and although I see Brian coming over to me quickly, I beg the cabbie to get going. He seems to sense my urgency and steps on the gas, getting the car moving right before Brian can reach me. 

Brian stops, when he sees us take off and I watch him until we turn a corner and I can't anymore. The look on his face is so horrible. Before this happened I would have said there was intense pain on his face, but I know now that that couldn't be it. Maybe I've never been able to read him and I just thought I could, or maybe it was pain, only pain for me, pity. 

But whatever it was, I know it will be the last look I ever see on his beautiful face. So even though I can no longer see him, I press my face to the window and whisper goodbye, while my tears start picking back up.

"Goodbye baby, I love you."


	2. Secret Plans

  
Author's notes: Umm ok, so this was a weird thought I had and I just need you to bare with me. PLEASE!!!  


* * *

 

A Half an Hour Before Justin Arrives at the Loft

Brian's POV

The buzzer rings and I race over to it, excited and nervous at the same time. I punch the release button without calling down to see who it is, because I know who it is and I can't wait until he comes up here. I have been waiting to see him all day and it's been driving me crazy, that he was busy all morning and couldn't come over.

I yank open the door before he even gets to it, and I wait impatiently for the elevator to bring him to me. Finally the elevator comes to a holt, and before he can even move to raise the door, I am there pulling it up. As soon as the door is out of the way, I pull him towards me and give him a little kiss on the lips.

"Hey Mikey."

"Hey Brian, sorry I couldn't get away sooner. I was trying to get here all morning, but shit wasn't cooperating with me."

"No problem, I wish you were here sooner too, but at least you're here now and we have plenty of time before Justin gets back."

We go into the loft and I'm so excited to see him. I have been waiting for him to be able to get away all day. As we go into the loft, I start to gather up all the things we will need, and I notice he's staring around the loft looking a little lost, and I know he's nervous about what we are about to do, but I also know he will be ok about it soon.

As soon as I finish gathering up what we need, I notice Mikey still looks out of sorts, so I go up behind him and wrap my arms around him, trying to offer comfort in the only way I know how. He is stiff for a moment, and then he relaxes into me. I am so glad because I need him so much.

I knew this was going to be hard on him, the change in who we are to each other, not to mention that he has to keep this a secret, which goes against all that Mikey is, cause he, and his mother are big mouths. But he has been keeping the secret, since we decided that we were going to do this, so I hope he can keep it of a while longer.

We both know that this has been years in the coming, although I fought it tooth and nail. We both know that this could change our lives forever. I know the situation that I am asking Mikey to be a part of is going to be tense, but I know I need to do it. Because I want him so much. 

I am terrified that our friendship won't survive this, but I have to take this chance, move to the next step. I want him so bad, the very thought of us doing this together, to show each other how much we care for one another, makes me want to smile with joy. I figure we have stalled because our fears long enough, so I lean over to whisper in his ear.

"Are you ready?"

"Umm, just umm, I have to go to the bathroom first."

Ok, I can accept this, he is stalling but I know it will be alright. He has already said he wants to do it, he is just scared.

I wait anxiously for him to come out of the bathroom, and then I hear the door open, and I'm about to bounce with excitement. I wait for him to come out of the bedroom, and the time ticks by, and he doesn't, so I finally decide to go up the to see what he's doing.

I walk up to my bedroom, and see him staring at the bed. The bed is sex rumpled from where I jerked off before he came. I just had the fantasy of what I was going to do in my head, and I had to get off. I look at Michael, standing there, and again get lost in my thoughts of this perfect thing that is going to change the family forever.

This will not only affect me and Mikey, but it will obviously also affect Justin. But it won't stop there. It will spiral out, and change the relationships between everyone. I just know it will but I can't help it. I don't want anything other than this, and I refused to let how it will effect others change my mind.

This man that I am about to do this with, is someone that has been with me through thick and thin, never left my side no matter what. He is so amazing for being with me no matter what I throw at him. I am so glad this is going to happen. I look over at Michael, and I know I have to do something to make him more comfortable.

"Do you want a drink Mikey? It might relax you."

"No thanks."

"So you don't want anything? Cause I'll give you anything you want."

"Umm, well I'm kind of hungry."

He sounds so unsure, and I want to wipe that away, we have a lot of plans today, and I want him totally here with me for them, so I know I need to erase his doubt.

"Ok no problem. What do you want to eat? Cause I'm pretty sure I have nothing here. Hell, I'm positive I have nothing here."

"Umm, anything?"

"Sure, anything."

"Well I have really been craving the food from Yen's."

I can't believe I'm going to do this shit, cause that restaurant is over twenty fucking miles away, and they don't fucking deliver, but I am going to do it. I just think about what making Mikey happy is going to get me, and I know I will do what he wants without complaint.

"Ok, what do you want?"

"Umm, just a pu, pu, platter."

"Ok, I'll be back in like half an hour, so have a drink and relax, Mikey. I promise everything will be fine." 

I walk out the door, knowing Michael is still scared, but also knowing there is nothing I can do but assure him, this is the right thing. As I put the jeep in drive, I go back to the thoughts that have been making me smile all day.

I think about this man I am going to be with, who makes me wonder why I never wanted to do, what I am about to do, but now it feels like the most right thing in the world. I see the look on his face in my head a lot, at the thought of doing this, and the smile that he will have afterwards. He is going to love it so much.

Although it is something I never thought I would be doing, I feel like it is something that I should have considered a while ago. I knew he wanted it to happen badly, and I should have done this before now. My time with him is always special, always worth while, always something I enjoy. He deserves this for everything he has done for me, so it is time I gave him something back.

Holding myself back, because of my thoughts, is something that I should have thrown aside to make him happy, long before now. He has hinted towards what we are going to do for a long time, and it is time I gave it him. The thought of doing this was making me smile; the idea of giving him exactly what he wants, is making me tingle with delight.

I have seen this boy grow into a man, through time passing. He has grown up to be a spectacular man, I am so lucky that he would want to do this with me.

My thoughts are interrupted, when my cell phone rings, and I pop it open without checking the caller ID, because I just want to get the conversation over with, so I can go back to my little day dreams.

"Kinney."

"Hey Brian. Have you got to Yen's yet?"

"I'm about to pull in. Why?"

"Because I was wondering if you could get me their sesame chicken instead."

I want to groan, because I know that they make that when you order it, so I'll be here forever. But I don't, cause I want to be able to give Mikey whatever he wants, right now. So I hold my tongue and just answer him politely.

"Sure thing Mikey, but I'll be gone a lot longer than I thought."

~A Half an Hour Later~

As I pull onto Tremont, I notice a cab in front of my building, and I don't think anything of it, until I see the cabby, and what looks like Justin shoving bag after bag into the cab. I speed up, and screech to a stop to see what's going on. As I run towards Justin, he meets my eyes, and then jumps in the cab.

He obviously tells the cabbie to hurry up, because before I can reach them, they have pulled away in a squeal of tires. I watch the car disappear, and notice Justin watching me as well. I don't understand, what is happening, but I figure Justin must have found out, and decided to leave. With that thought in my mind, I go upstairs, to where I know Michael is waiting for me.


	3. Devious Nature

Earlier That Morning - Red Cape Comics

Michael’s POV

I’m helping a customer find just the right comic, and trying not to be upset at him. I have never found this chore annoying before now, because I completely understood the desire, that borderlines on a need. Right now, all I want to do is tell him to get a fucking life, and go outside and do something, but I don’t. I know why I’m so annoyed, and really it has nothing to do with the customer, so I won’t take it out on him.

Brian has been calling all morning, wondering when I’m going to be at the loft, and I have been able to put him off each time, but I know that it won’t last much longer because I’m running out of excuses, and he’s running out of patience. I know I agreed to go there and do this fucking thing, but I would give anything for it not to be happening. I still can’t believe that after all this time he is just going to give up all his hard fought rules.

He has had his rules almost the entire time we have known each other, and we met in fucking high school, and he always stuck to them. There were never any repeats or relationships, or even feelings of regret, or anything of the other things, that Brian Kinney didn’t do.

That was until one night a few years ago, when he met the blond twink who just wouldn’t go away. At first, Brian seemed to be annoyed but flattered, by the fucking blond brat’s attention, but rather quickly everyone could see the change in Brian. At first, it was Boy Wonder chasing after Brian at every chance he could, but after a while, if you were looking, you noticed Brian pull Justin to him.

When I noticed that, I knew things were going to change. Hell, actually the first night I knew that somehow Justin was different, although I didn’t know why. Fuck, even to this day I have no idea what Brian sees in Justin, but he obviously sees something that even after all this time, I still can’t see.

Not that I haven’t tried, because almost since the first second he has showed up in our lives, I have wondered what it is that he has that I don’t. What he can do, or be for Brian that I can’t. Fuck, it can’t be that he’s a better lay because I have a lot more experience, because I sure as hell have been fucking a lot longer than he has. So I know he can’t be that good, he’s just a kid.

But maybe that’s why Brian wants him, because he is so young and he must make Brian feel younger as well. Brian has always hated the thought of getting old, so Boy Wonder must help with that.

My train of thought is interrupted when the customer finally finds what he is looking for, and heads to the counter to buy it. I ring him out, and when he leaves I go back to my thoughts of Brian, and the plans we have today. It’s been so hard keeping this secret but Brian begged and threatened me to. Even though I want to shout it from the rooftops, I want to shout about the unfairness of life, I want someone to agree with me. I just know if everyone knows, then most, if not all will, agree with me.

Well not anyone in our little ‘family’, ok maybe Ted because I know he still harbors a little bit of his feelings for me, but everyone else will hit the roof. I know even my mom won’t agree with me, because she loves her Sunshine. And I know I can’t even count on the Munchers or Emmett. Although you’d think my fucking roommate would be on my side, but no, he loves his princess.

I don’t know how no one can see that I’m right. I also have no idea why I agreed to this plan of Brian’s, but I know I regret it now and I will regret every second of actually doing it. As my thoughts are swirling and I’m wishing for things that can never be, my cell phone rings and without even touching it, I know that Brian’s on the other end.

“Hey Bri, I’m heading out right now. Sorry it took so long.”

“No problem, I just can’t wait for you to get here, I can’t wait to get this started.”

“Ok, see you in a few minutes.”

We hang up, and I close up the shop and jump into the car to drive over to Brian’s loft. I still have so many questions, and I don’t have any answers. The most prominent questions is, ‘why the fuck did he ask me’ and ‘why can’t he do this himself’, the man makes millions selling shit to people that they don’t fucking need, but he can’t pull this off by himself, it’s fucking unbelievable.

I arrive at the loft, and step into the elevator and push then button for Brian’s floor. I continue to brood as I ascend, but as I’m about to reach Brian’s floor, I see his shoes, and realize that he is waiting for me. 

‘God, I can’t believe he’s this excited.’

The elevator stops, but before I can move to throw the gate up, Brian is there and pulling it up, and dragging me into his arms and kissing me in the way he only kisses me. Even Justin doesn’t get these kisses so full of affection. Which is why I don’t understand why Brian’s with Boy Wonder, and not me?

“Hey Mikey.”

“Hey Brian, sorry I couldn’t get away sooner. I was trying to get here all morning, but shit wasn’t cooperating with me.”

I feel bad about lying to him like that, but I really couldn’t tell him that I was avoiding him, that everything in me demanded that I didn’t come here and help him. The only reason I’m here at all is that I love him, and I’m hoping to come up with the words that will make him change his mind.

“No problem, I wish you were here sooner too, but at least you’re here now and we have plenty of time before Justin gets back.”

We go into the loft, and he is gathering up piles and piles of paper and I wonder how much research he did on this, but I really can’t concentrate on anything, but staring at the loft. I don’t come here as much anymore, and I haven’t really looked around since Justin officially moved in about six months ago, but now that I do, I can see the changes that it has brought.

Brian’s typical elegant, but sterile interior design, while still here, has been changed by Justin’s things and his taste. So now while the base is basically still the same, it looks more like someone’s home now, instead of a showroom of expensive furniture.

I just don’t believe how much their styles have meshed, and how well they go together. This actually feels like a couples’ home, much more than what I had with David. And that’s another thing that proves Brian loves me, because he did everything he could to get rid of him. Brian didn’t like the competition for my love, so he worked to get rid of him. So I know this is wrong.

I’m still upset about everything, when I feel Brian’s arms wrap around me from behind. At first, I stay stiff in his embrace but after a few seconds in his strong arms, I melt. I always want his arms around me, and for the few seconds he ever does it, I cherish it every time. But I only get a few seconds before he ruins it by talking.

“Are you ready?”

Fuck no I’m not, but I can’t say the real reason why, so I think as quick as I can to come up with something plausible.

“Umm, just umm, I have to go to the bathroom first.”

I can tell by his face that Brian doesn’t believe me, but he doesn’t say anything, and I head into the bathroom. Once I get in there, I start thinking again. I have to figure out what to say, what to do, to stop this from happening. After another few minutes, with no thoughts besides begging Brian and I knew that wouldn’t work, so I just leave the bathroom.

When I leave the bathroom I notice the bed, it was all sex rumpled, and I can’t help but stare at it, and image me and Brian in it. I can see him moving above me, thrusting into me. I can almost feel his sweat slicked chest, rubbing against my back. Just as I’m losing myself in my fantasy, I hear Brian’s voice.

“Do you want a drink Mikey? It might relax you.”

Yeah, because at this time, anything would actually relax me.

“No thanks.”

“So you don’t want anything? Cause I’ll give you anything you want.”

Oh God Michael, think of something, anything that will give more time. I just need more time, please think of something. Oh I’ve got it.

“Umm, well I’m kind of hungry.”

“Ok no problem. What do you want to eat? Cause I’m pretty sure I have nothing here. Hell, I’m positive I have nothing here.”

“Umm, anything?”

“Sure, anything.”

Umm, somewhere far way where he would have to go to get food, so I can figure out how to stop this shit. Although, I’m not sure what I can come up with, seeing as how I haven’t been able to come up with anything since I first learned about it.

“Well, I’ve really been craving the food from Yen's.”

I can see by the look on Brian’s face that he doesn’t want to do this, but then I see that look turn into acceptance, and I know that he is just willing to do anything he can to make me happy, so that I will help him.

“Ok, what do you want?”

“Umm, just a Pu, Pu, platter.”

“Ok, I’ll be back in like half an hour, so have a drink and relax, Mikey. I promise everything will be fine.” 

I watch Brian walk out of the loft door, and I know I have very little time to think of something to stop this. I turn around and around, staring at things in the loft, when I notice the bed again. Without a coherent thought, I make my way to the bed, and climb upon it.

As soon as I’m on it, I smell Brian’s special smell; it’s a combination of his favorite cologne, his favorite body wash, and cigarettes. I push my face against the sheets and breathe deep, wanting to burn the scent of his cum into my mind.

The scent of Brian, the thoughts of what he must have been doing in this bed before I showed up, and fantasies of the two of us on this bed and all we could do, makes me roll over on my back, and start stroking my dick through my pants. The friction on my cock and the smell of Brian all around me, is more than I can take and I tug my jeans open, and pull out my cock. I start stroking to my thoughts and within minutes, I’m shooting, mixing my cum with Brian’s on the bed.

As I come down from my orgasm, it dawns on me what I have just done, and I sit up and look down at the bed, that’s now covered in both Brian’s and my cum.

‘Shit! What the hell am I supposed to do with that?’

Before I can even come up with anything, the phone rings but it’s not mine, so I ignore it and the machine picks up, and the first thing I hear is the message, and I realize that because I always call Brian’s cell, I have never heard this message.

‘Hey this is the Kinney-Taylor residence…Hey, fuck you. It’s the Taylor-Kinney residence. What the hell does that matter? It doesn’t. So leave a message for the Taylor-Kinney residence. Brian!!! Beeeeepp.’

Before I can even question the weird ass message, the caller leaves their message.

“Hey Bri. I can’t believe you haven’t changed that message yet, but anyways, guess where I am? How about ten minutes from the loft, I missed you so much baby and the trip was boring, so I decided to cut it short. I love you and I’ll be right there. I hope you’ll be home. Beeeppp”

Shit, what am I going to do? Justin is going to come here and he is going to know what I did on their bed. Shit, I run to the bedroom and I’m about to pull the sheets off when it hits me that the bed smells like Brian and I, and looks like sex. 

I smile, as the answer to my problem sinks into my mind, and I run to the phone to call Brian.

“Kinney.”

“Hey Brian. Have you got to Yen’s yet?”

“I’m about to pull in. Why?”

“Because I was wondering if you could get me their sesame chicken instead.”

I know Brian will not want to do this, but I also know he will. And because they always make this order right when you order it, Brian will be gone a lot longer than he expected. And this will give me time to set, and pull off my plan.

“Sure thing Mikey, but I’ll be gone a lot longer than I thought.”

As soon as I hang up with Brian, I turn to the answering machine and delete the message from Justin. As soon as that’s done, I realize I have wasted nearly five minutes already. So I race up to the bedroom, and start stripping off my clothes, strewing them about the room, but being careful to make sure they are all on the side of the bed that heads to the bathroom, so I have a convenient escape route when Justin shows up.

After I’m finished, I get into the bed and snuggle myself down into it so I can act like I’m sleeping. A few minutes later I hear the door to the loft open, and I make sure my body is completely relaxed.

“What the fuck?!”

I automatically react to his shout, and act like I don’t get what is happening for a second, then start employing more of my acting skills.

“I…well…it…and…I…”

I stammer out at Justin, and then grabbing the duvet, and my clothes, I make my way to the bathroom. I sit in here for a while wondering if this plan will actually work, because if Justin calls Brian, the jig is up, and I will be so fucked because Brian would never forgive me for this, especially when I’m here to help him with his plan.

I have to tell myself over and over again this is right for Brian, as I listen for any noise from outside the bathroom door. I know in the long run Brian will be all the better for this, and when we get together, I will make him forget all about the little twink, but first, I just have to get rid of Justin.

I know just how much Justin’s life the last few years has drained him, and I have been really picking at Justin since he and Brian declared them together, and I know that it’s getting to him. I have seen the way he looks at Brian after I have spent the time we are working on the comic, running down their relationship in an underhanded, but not obvious way.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, I hear Justin moving around and then he speaks.

“Michael, you can come out of the bathroom you know. I don’t plan on doing anything to you. I would never hit someone who Brian loves.”

I sit here and listen to Justin’s words, and I don’t know if I believe him, and I’m not sure if I want to take the chance, because not only do I not want to be punched, but it would ruin my plan, because how would I explain to Brian how I got the bruise. When I don’t come out Justin speaks again.

“Oh come out, I said I wasn’t going to do anything.”

Oh hell no. That little fucker isn’t going to act like I’m not coming out because I’m scared of him. Fuck him. 

‘I get the last word this time Boy Wonder,’

So I leave the bathroom, with my head held high, and find that Justin can’t really even look at me. This fact gives me even more power and I set about to crush him even more.

“You’re right; you’re not going to do anything, because Brian would hate you if you did, instead of just putting up with you.”

I watch him trying to hold in the wince that come to his face, but he wasn’t completely successful, and I get a beautiful eyeful of his pain before he hides it completely.

“I’m sorry Justin, but I told you that first night to go, but you wouldn’t, and Brian just couldn’t bare to hurt you.”

Justin misses a step when I say this, and I know I have just hurt him badly, I know that and I revel in it. I have always wanted to truly bring the ‘Golden Twink’ to his knees, and I have finally succeeded in doing just that. I have now seen his heart break, and I don’t think I have ever been happier in my entire life. The only moment I can see rivaling this, is when Brian finally realizes that it’s me he wants, me he should be with.

I watch as Justin packs his things quickly, basically running around the loft throwing things into any bags he can find, even trash bags. I am surprised with how much stuff he owns, but all I can think about is getting him out quickly, so Brian doesn’t come back before he’s gone. 

I see him stop in front of a set of blue knickknacks **,** , and stare at them for a couple of minutes, although I have no idea why, shit I have no idea why anyone would own them. They don’t even make any shape, they are just two wavy looking things, that look like they were once one thing, and someone broke it, shit they’re ugly.

After staring at them for a while, Justin picks up one, and packs it, but he leaves the other one. Shit, I’ll just throw it away when he’s gone and tell Brian he took them both.

Finally, he’s at the door and I speak again to make myself very clear to him.

“So I hope you’re going to let Brian have this. Let him be happy, and not come crying to him about this.”

He hesitates for a moment before answering, and I’m afraid that he doubts this, but when he speaks my fears are laid to rest.

“Don’t worry, I’m leaving town today and he won’t ever hear from me again. Tell him, if he finds anything I missed, to throw it in the trash.”

“Good.”

As soon as he walks out the door, I run around the loft to hide the evidence, so Brian won’t suspect that I had anything to do with Justin leaving. First, I go to quickly change the bed, I can tell Brian that I got bored, and I knew he would want to have it changed before Justin got home. But as I’m heading for that knickknack Justin left, the loft door flies open, and a completely destroyed Brian stands there, and looks at me for a few seconds, before he speaks.

“What the hell is going on with Justin? And why didn’t you call me?”

 

AN: I know you have all been waiting for this and now that one of the secrets are revealed no more planning my death please. LOL I want to thank all my readers for having the faith to keep going and for the many people who helped with this story. There is more you need to know so stay tuned for the fourth and final chapter. Hugs, Later.


	4. Could It Be True?

Justin’s POV

As soon as I make it around the corner I try to figure out exactly what I’m going to do. I have just lost everything and I don’t know how to process that. I am heading to the airport with much more baggage than I can get on the plane with so I know I can’t actually go there. I don’t know where I’m going to go but I do know it will be away from Pittsburgh and all the things I know, all the things that will remind me of Brian.

“Hey. I’m sorry, but can I change my destination from the airport to the bus station?”

“Sure. No problem.” 

I’m not paying attention to where we are or where we’re going. I’m stuck inside the relationship that I thought would last forever and its demise. I remember every kiss every touch, except for the moments in time that a baseball bat stole. God, I couldn’t imagine pain worse then that before but I think this might just relive that. That pain at least I knew would go away and that when it was real bad, I could take medicine to ease it but for this, for being without Brian forever, there is nothing to help me with that.

I can feel his lips on mine, his hands sliding down my back, down my face, into my hair and the thought that I will never feel that again is devastating. Never again will I see that smirk or the smile he only smiles for me and Gus. Or maybe I was always way off course and the smile he smiled at Michael, which I always saw as a little condescending, was the smile I should have wanted.

I don’t know anything right now, every moment seems like it had to be a lie now. Every touch, every kiss, every word, a fabrication to what? To make me happy, to…God everything is so bullshit right now. I don’t know or understand anything about what the fuck went on. From the first moment I had looked into Brian’s eyes, I was sure I saw his heart and soul but now I know I must have been wrong this whole time.

How could I have been so wrong? How could I have misread everything so badly? Did I ignore it because I wanted him so much that I didn’t care if he really wanted me too? And if I did that, what kind of person does that make me? I pushed myself into his life and now everyone in it is attached to me. What will Gus do when he doesn’t have his Jusin anymore? How many people have I really hurt by being so blind?

I just can’t understand why Brian would want to be with Michael. Michael is a sniveling little weasel and I thought Brian felt for him as you would an annoying little brother. Michael has been so cruel to me at times about Brian and especially lately. Lately when we have been working on the comic he hasn’t missed a chance to run down my relationship with Brian. Maybe it was because they were together, maybe…

“Driver…”

Brian’s POV

I’m walking up the stairs heading to Mikey and I feel like there’s a twenty ton weight just hanging on my shoulders. I just don’t understand why he would just leave like that. I thought I was about to give him something he had always wanted. I mean I had never considered me ever doing it before but I knew, well I thought I knew, that he wanted it and then the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea. 

I just don’t understand why he would just leave or why Mikey didn’t warn me. Huh, I wonder if he sent Mikey home cause he would never let Justin just leave without at least calling me to warn me. Ok, so Mikey’s not here, he must not be, which is a good thing right now, because I don’t want anyone to see me completely fall apart.

I pull open the loft door looking forward to drinking as much alcohol and taking as many drugs as I can, until I forget that he’s gone or until I pass out, whichever comes first. But as soon as I open it I stop short, Mikey’s in the middle of my living room. He’s just standing there and looking at me. I stare at him for a few minutes trying to figure out what he is doing here. He shouldn’t be here because Justin was obviously here and he packed his stuff and left and if Mikey was here, he would have called me. Right?

“What the hell is going on with Justin? And why didn’t you call me?” I demand.

“Umm… what?” Michael stammers.

"What? What do you mean 'what?' Did you not see Justin?" My demand becomes harsher.

“Yes I did. He came, packed his shit and left.” Michael says.

“Yeah, I got that when I saw him pulling away in a fucking cab! What I want to know is why you didn’t call me?” I have started yelling at this point.

“Well, you were going to find out when you got home anyway. He was leaving. Why would you want to rush, just to be here when he packed?” Mikey sneers.

“What the fuck? I would have liked to be here so I could find out why the fuck he was leaving! Why he left me, ‘cause let me tell you, I have no idea why he did.” Now I'm screaming.

“I do.”

My chest clenches at these words and I don’t know if I want to hear Mikey’s words. Do I really want to know why he left me? Can I stand hearing why my life is lying at my feet? I know I don’t want to hear it but that I need to.

“Ok. Tell me why?”

“Umm… well, Brian…” He stutters.

“Just spit it out Michael. I can take it.” I say rolling my eyes at his dramatics.

“Umm… ok. Well, he said that he had met someone. I’m sorry Bri.” Michael rushes out.

“What are you sorry for? Sorry’s bullshit. It’s not your fault that I can’t keep him happy. I just don’t understand. We were doing so well. I don’t get what changed between last night and now. What the hell did he do? Meet someone on the plane?” I say in disbelief.

I know I’m asking impossible questions of Mikey but I just need some answers because last night everything was fine, I’m sure of it.

“I’m sure he’s known this guy a lot longer than today. He was obviously just lying about everything while he was away. Shit, he was probably sleeping in the guy’s room! That’s probably why he wanted to go on this trip.” Michael spits out, obviously nearing the end of his patience with the topic.

“You don’t know shit Michael.”

I’m growling, warning him of my anger because he has never got Justin and I, but I refuse to hear this shit when he knows nothing about it. He doesn’t know how Justin and I have been together lately. 

The easy loving nature, what fills our home most of the time now. I won’t say all the time because that would be bullshit because he’s a drama princess still and I’m well, um maybe slightly, a drama queen. So we still go around but it’s never about tricks or cheating or either of us not loving the other because we got all that cleared up, or at least I thought we did.

I wonder how long he has known this other guy, hell how long he’s been with this other guy. I really thought after Ethan, this shit wouldn’t happen again. I mean I understood Ethan, even though I fucking hated him and the fact that he existed. I understood that Justin was unsure of a lot of things after the bashing and he wanted, hell he needed, to know that I loved him but I couldn’t tell him.

It wasn’t that I wouldn’t lie, I told him I literally couldn’t because of shit in my past about people who I loved and they way they treated me and so I was afraid to give Justin that much power over me, even though he truthfully already had it. I figured that out after I gave him the final shove to leave me for Ethan and found out I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, shit, I just couldn’t function without him.

The only problem is now I know it will be so much worse than it was then because we are so much closer and I have no idea what I did wrong. I could have sworn that we were happy and then he just walks out, I just am so confused.

“Brian, he is leaving you for someone else, again. Maybe it’s you who doesn’t know him. You don’t know where he spent his nights. You couldn’t know and he probably lied to you about where he was.” Michael scoffs at me.

“Michael, don’t tell me I don’t know Justin. And how the hell was he in someone else’s room when we talked on the phone every fucking night?” I am full out raging in his face now and he still won’t back down, Mikey is playing all his cards and he won’t let my anger scare him away.

“Brian, I don’t know how he pulled it off, but he obviously did. Maybe he called you and then went to the other guy’s room or maybe he called from the other guy’s bathroom.” Michael points out reasonably under the heat of my anger.

“Yeah. ‘Cause he spent at least four hours on the phone each night with me when he was in some other guy’s room. Oh yeah, and we can’t forget the night he fell asleep talking to me and I had to wake him up in the morning when I got up so he would hang up the phone.” I reveal sarcastically.

“What the hell would you be doing on the phone with him for hours? Even you can’t have phone sex that many times.” Mikey asks incredulously.

“Yeah, ‘cause that’s all we talk about. Michael, you should just stay out of shit you know nothing about.” I say back with just as much disbelief in my voice while fighting not to roll my eyes again.

“What I do know is that he left you Brian and I’m so sorry. Maybe we should just go out. You could buy a new ‘fuck-me’ outfit and tonight we’ll go to Babylon and show everyone that their king still reigns.” Michael says with the puppy dog look in his eyes.

“Are you kidding Michael? The man that I love just fucking left me, the man I was going to fucking marry and I have no idea why. I have no idea what I’m going to do but the old form of pain management isn’t going to cut it in this case.” I say, the pain in my heart echoing through my voice.

“Why not, Brian? You should be glad he’s gone; now you can go back to being who you really are.”

“Glad he’s gone? No Mikey, you’re the only one who’s glad he’s gone.”

“You’re right. I am. I’m glad that he’s not dragging you down anymore, manipulating you to be what he wants you to be, everything you said you’d never be; a Step ford Fag.”

“You know what? I’m not even going to go into this with you Michael because you have no idea what it is to really love someone.”

“I love you, Brian.”

“No you don’t, or you would know how much this is killing me. Now, go the fuck away.”

I block Michael out and head into the bedroom, hoping that he’ll actually do what I say and leave because I just want to curl up in our…my bed and forget today ever happened. I want to lay there and try to find his scent on the sheets even though I know it isn’t. On the sheets that I had a fantasy earlier about him, on the sheets that have been changed? Why the hell would he change the sheets?

“What the fuck?”

“What Brian?”

“My sheets…”

“Oh, I changed them. I was trying to help out. You know, I figured it would be one less thing you had to do before Justin got home.”

What the fuck? That was a quick answer. He spent fucking forever arguing with me about how good it was that Justin was gone and then he is trying to help me for Justin. Hell, if he thought all this shit about Justin then why did he agree to help me anyway? And why the fuck…shit, what’s going on?

“Michael, why did you agree to help me plan our trip?”

“Cause you asked me to, of course.”

“But if you thought this way about Justin still, why would you agree to help so we could get married?”

“I didn’t think this way before he said that he was leaving again because he was cheating.”

It seems like a plausible excuse but I don’t believe it for some reason. Maybe this is just me being in denial but I think this shit is bull and I will find out what the fuck happened here.

“I am going to find Justin and you had better fucking hope that you have had nothing to do with him not being here.”

“Brian, why would I have anything to do with it? And he’s gone anyway.”

“Ggggrrrr… did he say where he was going?”

“No Brian. He just said he was leaving.”

“So he’s probably at his mom’s or Daphne’s.”

“No. He said he was leaving Pittsburgh.”

“Well, I’ll find him and like I said, you’d better have had nothing to do with this Michael, because you don’t want to know me if you did.”

“Brian, I’m your best friend.”

“No, you’re not.”

I hear Michael whining at my statement as I throw my things on and head to the door but I refuse to continue to argue with him anymore. I have to find Justin and find out what the fuck happened… and see if I can get him back. I throw open the door and stop dead.

Justin’s POV

The door in front of me is ripped open before I can reach out my hand to open it and surprised, I look into the equally shocked and pain filled face of Brian. I can see he and Michael seemed to be arguing because Michael’s whining only stops when he sees me.

“What, trouble in paradise already?” I sneer.

“Jus…” Brian begins but I cut him off.

“So what are you guys fighting about, huh? Who gets what side of the bed?”

I know I came back to get answers but seeing them together is driving me mad and all I really want to do is fucking beat them both…or cry some more.

“What the…” I again cut Brian off.

“What Brian? Was I not supposed to be here? Is this ruining your day? ‘Cause let me tell you, this shit ruined mine too.” I bite out.

“You said you weren’t coming back.” Michael demands.

“I know I did Michael, but apparently I lied…like Brian.” 

“HEY!!! Could I get a mother fucking word in edgewise? What the fuck is going on here? I…you left me, so what the hell is going on? Why the hell are you pissed at me?” Brian rages at the top of his lungs.

I stop, stop moving, stop breathing, just stop. The air in my lungs is tight and I can’t force a word past my lips. Everything has stopped except my heart which is beating so fast I’m sure both Brian and Michael can hear it but I don’t care because Brian sounds completely clueless. I don’t know what’s happening here either but when I look at Michael he doesn’t look clueless as Brian looks or I feel, no, he looks scared and I know, I just know, that this is him.

Before any thought registers I throw myself at Michael, slamming his body to the floor. Once I have him on the floor I punch him once, twice, three times until Brian grabs me around the waist and lifts my struggling body off of Michael’s.

“Calm down Justin. Please, calm down. Tell me what’s going on. Why are you mad at Michael? Why did you leave?” Brian pleads.

Brian’s voice has that soothing quality that he learned after the bashing but it also holds an edge that I knew meant trouble. I want relax into Brian’s arms but I still can’t, I just don’t feel alright with everything that has happened and I still have no explanation, although now I’m sure I know what happened.

“Why don’t you ask your ‘best friend’ if you really don’t know what’s going on.” I sneer again.

I watch as Brian moves his eyes slowly off of me and they land on Michael with a warning blazing behind the orbs and even though Michael’s usually oblivious, I can tell he knows that he’s screwed and I wonder what he will do or say to try to get away with this.

“Brian, why are you looking at me like that? I’m your best friend and he was hitting me. Shouldn’t you be protecting me?”

“His best friend? Oh sorry, cause I could have sworn you were his lover.”

“What the fuck?” Brian’s angry voice booms out.

Michael flinches and I feel the need to hurt him again well up inside me but Brian has yet to remove his arms from around me, although the madder he gets the tighter he seems to hold me. But this has to stop now, I can’t take anymore of this. I have to have this shit over with.

“Michael, you are going to tell him what the fuck went on here earlier because I fucking have no idea what’s going on either. But I do know that if this shit is what it’s looking like it is, I’m so going to hurt you.” I warn in a very angry tone.

I watch as Michael looks between Brian and I several times and I feel Brian tense even more against me and I know that he knows now that this best friend has just betrayed him and he doesn’t really want to hear the words out loud.

“I was trying to protect you, Brian.”

“Protect me? From what? Being happy?”

“No, you were going to give up everything you are, everything to make him happy and you shouldn’t have to do that.”

“You know we will not be getting into what I was going to do, we are going to talk about what you DID do.”

“I just…umm…I…”

“Oh fucking God, I don’t want to listen to this idiot stutter and stammer for-fucking-ever. You want to know what happened Brian, cause I’ll tell you. I came home earlier to surprise you and guess who I found in our bed, a bed that smelled of you and him and sex.” 

With that statement, although I know it didn’t happened the way Michael made it seem, for some reason the doubts plague me again and I stiffen in Brian’s arms and try to get out of them. But Brian won’t release me, he just tightens his arms and smoothes his hands down my chest.

“The bed smelled like me because a little while before Mikey got here, I was thinking about you and missing you.”

This answers the Brian part of the equation for me because I know just how much he loves to jerk off thinking about me, hell, I’ve caught him doing it numerous times.

“But I have no idea why Michael would be in our bed and why it would smell like him.”

Brian says this answering me but he is talking to Michael and his voice is angrier than I have ever heard it.

“I had to get rid of him for you, Brian.”

“So you what, jacked off in our bed and waited in it for him to get home?” The look on Michael’s face told both of us just how true that statement was and Brian continued his rage. “How the fuck did you know he was going to be home early in the first place?”

“I think I can answer that. I called and left a message saying I would be home in about ten minutes.” I inform Brian, looking up into his face.

I watch thoughts and emotions fly across Brian’s face as he looks at the answering machine, back at me, and the to Michael’s fidgeting form.

“So that’s why you called and changed your order, isn’t it? So you could take Justin away from me?” 

I hear Brian’s voice clog with unshed tears and my anger at Michael and my pain at everything that has happened is pushed to the back of my mind as I concentrate on the fact that the man I love is being ripped apart inside by the betrayal of his best friend. I turn in Brian’s arms and bury my face in his neck, turning my back on Michael and putting my whole being into holding my partner together.

There is no answer from Michael but I can hear as he starts to cry and I hope that Brian doesn’t forgive him but I will stand beside Brian whether he does or not. I know Michael has been very important in Brian’s life and even though he does not have the same place he did before, although he wouldn’t know that if you asked him, Brian loves him and if he still needs him, I will deal with that for Brian.

“Michael, out of all the people…goodbye Michael.”

“What? Ok, I’ll talk to you later.”

“No, I mean goodbye, Michael. Not only did you do this horrible thing and betray me while doing it but you haven’t fucking apologized for doing it. Shit, you’re not even sorry that you almost destroyed mine and Justin’s relationship.”

“Brian, I’m your best friend, I …” Michael whines.

“No, fucking stop saying that. If you were my best friend you would never have even considered doing something like this to me. Now get the fuck out of our loft and out of our lives.” Brian rants.

“Brian?” Michael questions in a pleading voice.

“No, out!” Brian screams and although he’s hurting my ears, I only snuggle closer to him.

As I hear Michael move away, I pull just my head back to watch him leave with tears running down his face. He hesitates at the door and Brian speaks again, this time in a defeated voice.

“Go Michael.”

Brian’s POV

I listen to the door slid shut with a ring of finality and I just bring Justin closer to me. I’m sad that I have lost Mikey but he almost cost me Justin through his devious planning and that I couldn’t overlook. 

I feel so tired as I look back on how this day was supposed to go, right now Mikey and I are supposed to be finalizing the plans for my romantic proposal to Justin and have already booked the flight and all the other stuff that we would need for the wedding, but now there is nothing and I don’t know what to do. 

I mean I needed Mikey’s help because there isn’t a romantic bone in my body. How am I going to pull this off now myself? Shit, I’m one of the best adman there is, why can’t I plan a proposal and a wedding? Really don’t know why but I have always thought that all this shit was bullshit and now that I want to do it, I want it to be perfect and most of all, I want Justin to love it and I’m afraid I can’t do that with out someone’s help.

God, I can’t stand the thoughts of Mikey and how the hell am I going to pull off my surprise for Justin anymore so I start pulling Justin’s unresisting body towards the bedroom. But when I’m about to sink onto the bed with him in my arms, Justin stiffens up and refuses to allow me to bring us down.

“Justin?” I question, straightening back up.

“I can’t…I just can’t.” Justin mumbles, looking down and my heart lurches for what feels like the hundredth time today.

“You can’t what?” I ask even though I am so afraid of the answer.

“I can’t get into that bed Brian. I just…I almost lost you because of that bed.”

I look at Justin and can see how torn up he is about this and I look down at the bed and realize that he is right. I realize that we could have been over forever for something that happened in this bed and I hate the sight of it too but I don’t have to think about it, I have an answer.

“Ok, where are your things?”

“Shit!” Justin shouts and starts to run towards the door.

“What?” I question, running after him.

“I told the cabbie to wait and left him sitting downstairs with all my things.” He shouts over his shoulder as he runs.

I don’t say another word as we rush downstairs hoping his things are still there. We burst through the door at about the same time and breath a sigh of relief when we see a very pissed off cabbie standing in front of his cab in front of the building. After numerous apologies and two hundred dollars changing hands, the now appeased cab driver is helping us load Justin’s things into the Jeep.

Once we are done and the cabbie has left, I have Justin wait in the Jeep and I run upstairs to pack a bunch of stuff, enough to last at least a couple of days. And as soon as I was finished, I’m heading downstairs with a bounce in my step because I might not have this planned to a tee like I had wanted but I’m going to do it anyway.

As soon as I get into the Jeep and point it away from town, I feel Justin’s eyes start landing on me every couple of minutes but I just squeeze his hand with mine to stall his questions. I get about ten minutes away from my destination when he refuses to be stalled any longer.

“West Virginia? Why are we in West Virginia?”

“You’ll see.” I say smugly.

“Brian.” Justin retorts warningly.

“Shhh I’m driving.” I tease.

“Oh fucker.”

Justin sits pouting beside me as I catch sight of our destination. As I pull the Jeep into the driveway, Justin looks around a little in awe and little questioningly. I get out of the Jeep and he automatically gets out behind me. When I get to the door, I wait for him before saying or doing anything.

“Who lives here?” Justin questions, still checking out the outside.

“We do.” I answer as I pull out the key and unlock the door.

“Us? We…what…why?”

“You don’t like it?” I say this teasingly but in truth I’m afraid he won’t.

I mean I think I got exactly what he’d said he had always wanted in a house but maybe I messed up.

“It’s beautiful Brian. It’s a…” Justin trails off in wonder.

“It’s the country manor you always said you wanted. It has stables and a pool and tennis court. Plus it’s only a half an hour drive to Liberty.”

“It is everything I ever wanted but why, Brian? I mean, obviously you had this before the whole Michael thing, so why’d you buy it?”

“I bought it for my Prince. So we could live in it after he agreed to marry me.”

“Your prince…Wait, did you just ask me to marry you?” Justin gasps out in shock.

“Yes.” I answer apprehensively, hoping he will say yes.

“But why? You always said you didn’t believe in marriage.”

“I finally figured out a reason to do it.”

“And what’s that?” Justin says, looking deep into my eyes.

“To prove to the man I love just how much I love him.” I say softly.

“Really?” Justin asks with his heart in his eyes.

“Yes.”

“Ok.” he says reaching for me.

“Ok? Ok what?” I say holding him off, needing to hear the words for some reason.

“Ok, let’s do it.”

“Say it.” I demand gently.

“Yes I will marry you, Brian.”

Justin’s POV

Brian asked me to marry him, Brian asked me to marry him. Sorry, excuse me while I cheer a little. I am wrapped in Brian’s arms as happy as I’ve ever been and he wants to marry me. When he first asked I was skeptical of the reasons behind it but the look in his eyes told me that him asking me had nothing to do with what happened with Michael, that he really wanted to do this. And as soon as I realized that I agreed.

When were done just fucking and rejoicing in the fact that we’re getting married, we fell to the floor in each other’s arms and made love like there was no tomorrow, even though we have hundreds of tomorrows. It was different in a way; it was like even though everything Michael put us through, we are now more sure of each other and our places in life.

Throughout nearly the whole time we stared into each other’s eyes and communicated without words our love and happiness. And now that we’re sated, for the moment, we are laying in each other’s arms and staring into the fire thinking nothing and everything at the same time. We haven’t spoken in a while so when Brian’s voice cuts through the still air I almost sit up.

“Look at the time.”

I look where he’s gesturing and see the grandfather clock says eleven fifty-nine.

“One minute until midnight.” I say with a question in my voice.

“Right, it’s one minute until a new day. So that means all the Michael shit and all the pain, it lasted less than a day.”

“Right.” I say, still wondering why we’re talking about this.

“Let’s watch the minute pass together and forget about all the pain of the past.”

I nod against his chest, so we do and it did. The minute passes and we leave our pain in the day gone by. Not that we never have any other pain and we live in a blissfully ignorant ‘happily ever after’ for the rest of our lives, but that’s another story altogether.


End file.
